Best Free Calorie Counter Apps in 2026 (Honest Rankings)

Every January, millions of people download a calorie counter app. By February, most have either hit a paywall or given up because logging every meal manually is exhausting.

We tested every major free calorie counter available in 2026 — and a few you’ve probably never heard of. Here’s what we found.

What Makes a “Free” App Actually Free?

Before we dive in, let’s define what “free” means. Many apps call themselves free but:

• Lock essential features behind a subscription (barcode scanning, meal history, nutrient breakdowns)
• Limit daily entries unless you pay
• Show aggressive upsell screens that make the free version annoying to use
• Remove ads only for premium users

A truly free calorie counter lets you track everything you need — calories, macros, meals — without any of that. That’s our standard.

The Rankings

1. Chowdown — Best Overall Free Calorie Counter

Price: Free forever (no premium tier exists)

Chowdown takes a fundamentally different approach: instead of making you type “150g chicken breast, grilled,” you just snap a photo of your food. The AI identifies what’s on your plate and estimates calories and macros instantly.

What makes it stand out:

• 📸 AI food scanning — photo in, macros out
• 🤖 Robin, an AI nutrition coach that gives personalised advice
• 👥 Social groups — track with friends, share meals, stay accountable
• 📊 Full macro breakdown (protein, carbs, fats) plus calories
• 🚫 No ads, no premium tier, no data selling

What could be better:

• Database is AI-powered rather than barcode-based (some packaged foods require manual adjustment)
• Newer app, so community is still growing

Verdict: If you want the fastest, most frictionless calorie counting experience, Chowdown is it. No other free app comes close on ease of use.

Try Chowdown free →

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2. MyFitnessPal (Free Tier)

Price: Free with Premium at £79.99/year

The incumbent. MyFitnessPal has the largest food database in the world, and the free tier still lets you log meals and track calories.

Pros:

• Massive food database with barcode scanner
• Large community
• Integrations with most fitness trackers

Cons:

• ❌ Macro goals locked behind Premium
• ❌ Meal scan (AI photo) is Premium only
• ❌ Ad-heavy experience on free tier
• ❌ Nutrient insights require subscription

Verdict: Still usable for basic calorie counting, but the free experience has been stripped back significantly. If you want macros, you’re paying.

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3. Cronometer (Free Tier)

Price: Free with Gold at £49.99/year

Cronometer is loved by nutrition nerds for its micronutrient detail. The free tier gives you basic tracking.

Pros:

• Detailed micronutrient tracking (vitamins, minerals)
• Research-grade data sources
• Clean, professional interface

Cons:

• ❌ Manual entry only — no AI scanning
• ❌ Limited food diary features on free tier
• ❌ Smaller food database than MFP
• ❌ Can feel overwhelming for beginners

Verdict: Best for people who care about micronutrients, but the free tier feels restrictive for everyday use.

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4. Lose It!

Price: Free with Premium at £39.99/year

A simpler alternative to MyFitnessPal that focuses on weight loss.

Pros:

• Clean, approachable interface
• Decent food database
• Weight tracking built in

Cons:

• ❌ Macro tracking is Premium only
• ❌ Photo food logging is Premium only
• ❌ Limited customisation on free tier

Verdict: Good for pure calorie counting if you don’t need macros, but most serious trackers will outgrow it quickly.

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5. Samsung Health / Apple Health

Price: Free (built into your phone)

Both platforms have basic food logging. Not dedicated calorie counters, but worth mentioning.

Pros:

• Already on your phone
• Integrates with step counting, sleep, etc.
• No additional app needed

Cons:

• ❌ Tiny food databases
• ❌ Manual entry only
• ❌ Minimal nutritional insight
• ❌ Not designed for serious tracking

Verdict: Fine for occasional logging, but not a real calorie counter.

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Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Chowdown	MFP Free	Cronometer Free	Lose It! Free
Calorie tracking	✅	✅	✅	✅
Macro tracking	✅	❌ (Premium)	✅ (basic)	❌ (Premium)
AI food scanning	✅	❌ (Premium)	❌	❌ (Premium)
AI coaching	✅	❌	❌	❌
Social features	✅	✅ (basic)	❌	✅ (basic)
No ads	✅	❌	✅	❌
Price	£0	£0/£79.99	£0/£49.99	£0/£39.99

The Bigger Picture: Why Calorie Counting Is Getting Easier

The old model was: download app → search database → weigh food → type entry → repeat 4x daily. That’s why most people quit within two weeks.

AI is changing this. Apps like Chowdown are removing the friction entirely. Snap a photo, done. That’s the future of calorie counting — and it’s free today.

The days of paying £80/year to type “oatmeal, 50g” into a search bar are numbered.

Getting Started

If you’re ready to start tracking, here’s our recommendation:

1. Download Chowdown — it’s the fastest way to start
2. Track everything for one week — don’t change anything, just observe
3. Look at your averages — you’ll probably be surprised
4. Adjust gradually — small changes compound over time

The best calorie counter is the one you’ll actually use. If logging meals feels like homework, you’ll stop. That’s why AI scanning matters — it makes tracking feel effortless.

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Diego Cuñado is the creator of Chowdown, the free AI-powered macro tracker. He built it because he was tired of paying for basic nutrition tracking.